FABULOUS
WEEKEND FOR THEATRE
BY Margaretta
wa Gacheru (posted 21 March 2018)
Minister
Karibu, staged last weekend at Kenya National Theatre proved to be just as
relevant today as it was eight years ago when John Sibi Okumu wrote it and saw
it produced by Phoenix Players prior to the 2013 election.
In fact,
during a Q&A session following the second performance of Karibu on Sunday,
the consensus was that the script was even more relevant now. In part, this is
due to Sibi’s prophetic vision which directly addressed issues of corruption and
other social ills still plaguing Kenyans, like tribalism, sexism, nepotism and ‘land-grabbism’,
a term used by the ‘black Englishman’ Jamhuri Katana (Ben Tekee).
What’s more,
Sibi’s chosen genre of satire is one that rarely grows stale. This the writer
implied as he confessed he’d drawn inspiration from the work of previous
satirists like Gogol, Moliere and even Shakespeare, all of whose plays are
classics, still staged today.
But the
other reason the play has withstood the test of time is the director, Tash
Mitumba, who Sibi said had adapted aspects of his script, like the music and
social trends like selfies, which Winston Churchill Matumbato’s (Bilal Wanjau)
youthful sidekick Hippo Dudi (Ibrahim Muchemi) takes with his phone while the
two are busy hoodwinking the self-serving politicians.
But beyond
relevance, what drew me back to see MK a second time last weekend (or rather a
third time since I’d seen it once before when it was staged at Phoenix,
co-directed by George Mungai and Nick Njache) was the depth of the message.
In fact, on
Saturday night, I was totally charmed by the comic genius of Sibi’s caricatures:
the two media men (Peter Orinda and Kevin Kasyuki), flaming feminist Ph.D
(Beatrice Kimuya), pedant professor turned pol (Benson Ochungo), black Briton (Big
Ben), money-minded hotelier mama (Susan Kavathe) and her fake Maasai watchman
(Mark Okoth), all elicited large laughs, to the point of distraction.
So I had to
go back Sunday to ensure I got the deeper implications of the story itself.
First and foremost, Sibi’s play is all about corruption. But it’s not only the
politicians who are corrupt. All of his characters (apart from the media men
whom he parodies, but who at least are clean) are tainted with short-term
self-interests. Even the Mama Toto whose greed for cash blind-sides her when
WCM makes off with everybody’s cash and carry-ables.
Sibi’s got
more sympathy for the workers since they play-act as a means of surviving these
tough financial times. But all the politicians who come to the conference
called by WCM are there in the hope they’ll cash in on the master politician’s
substantial account. (It reminds one of some of our current politicians who
want lunch with the Big Man.)
During a
second Q&A, Sibi confirmed that the show’s ending (which I won’t spoil by
describing) was meant to symbolize what could happen to Kenya if it stays the
course of corruption and disregards the interests of the country’s future.
On a final
note, I must say Tash Mitambo’s directing was superb. The acting was also first
class and even the set design was economical and maximized the mini-stage at
KNT’s annex. We also congratulate Aroji Drama Academy for producing Minister
Karibu and promising to bring theatre or film to the stage every month this
year. May they fulfill that promise!
Meanwhile,
Hearts of Art are premiering in Walter Sitati’s intense political thriller, ‘Repair
my Heart’ tonight and Saturday at PAWA 254, starring Peter Kawa and Ellsey
Adhiambo.
Today is
also your last chance to see Aga Khan Academy stage the Ray Cooney comedy “It
Runs in the Family” at 2 and 8pm at Louis Leakey Auditorium.
Then
Saturday and twice on Sunday, the Dance Centre Kenya’s elite Ballet Company is
performing in Prokofiev’s enchanting fairy tale, ‘Cinderella’ at Kenya National
Theatre.
The two
principles in the 65 member cast are Tara Brmbota as Cinderella and Lawrence
Ogina playing the Prince. DCK’s own artistic director Cooper Rust will return
to the KNT stage performing the role of Cinderella’s wicked stepmother. Her two
nasty step-sisters will be played by Kayla Hotz and Stella Eising so it’s sure
to be a glorious performance.
Finally,
next Tuesday, March 27th the World Theatre Day will be celebrated at
the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development. Organized by Mabingwa Theatre
Productions, the celebrations will run from 8am through 5pm with Ezekiel Mutua
as the Guest Speaker.
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